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Former golfers have helped turn Newbury Park boys soccer team into league champion

With former Newbury Park golfers Badner and Rousseau partnering in central defense, Newbury Park (10-3-2, 8-0-1) had shut out its previous five league foes.

“We’ve given up two goals the whole league season,” coach Paul Sanford said.

Badner wasn’t even on the field for the goal scored by Oaks Christian on Jan. 12. He had left the field because of injury.

Both are longtime soccer players who had taken a break from the game.

“I just missed soccer,” Badner said, “so I had to come back to it.”

Newbury Park High senior Jack Rousseau joined the boys soccer team after previously playing golf and volleyball for the school.(Photo: PHOTO COURTESY OF AVA COOPER)

Rousseau, a member of the school’s international baccalaureate program, made the decision to focus on academics as a junior. The future Vanderbilt University double major returned to the playing field once he felt he had a handle on his studies.

“I kind of wanted to figure that out first,” Rousseau said. “I felt comfortable taking on a sport this year.”

At 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-1, Badner and Rousseau are similar players.

“We’re both good on the ball,” Badner said. “We’re both tall, so we can both get up there for headers.”

More importantly, they fit together like a pairing that has been playing together for years.

“It’s really just about the communication, talking about who’s going to go head the ball and who’s tracking someone behind,” Rousseau said.

The Newbury Park High boys soccer clinched the Marmonte League championship with one league game remaining.(Photo: PHOTO COURTESY OF AVA COOPER)

The turnaround from last year’s fourth-place finish was also boosted by a sophomore class which includes Luke Varav, Bradley Magnussen and Cameron Leeds, as well as junior Luke Mitchell. Senior midfielder Gannon Tovey missed last season with a back injury.

After Simi Valley dug out of a two-goal deficit to beat Royal 4-2 and Moorpark topped Oak Park 4-1, a tri-championship was forged.

“I hope that’s an indicator that we’re doing things right,” Sizemore said. “We could have phoned it in. At 2-3, it looked like we had no chance. Now, we’re the (league’s) No.1 seed baby.”

With Camarillo idle, Sizemore went to dinner with his family, while his team went to Royal to cheer on Simi Valley.

“I was a nervous wreck last night,” Sizemore said. “I won’t lie.”

Camarillo made its run without its top player, senior striker Brandon Duran — “our workhorse,” Sizemore said — who was injured in the league opener.

Junior Petey De La Cruz has picked up the scoring slack and two promotions have also helped. Pablo Orozco has steadied central midfield since being called up from the JVs. Forward Bryan Mariscal, who caught the eye with a hat trick on the freshman team, has scored goals in his first three varsity games.

“He’s been fearless,” Sizemore said.

Shooting star

Santa Paula (Tri-Valley) and Santa Clara (Frontier) also wrapped up unbeaten league campaigns this week.

One year after winning CIF-SS Division 7, Santa Clara looks like a favorite in Division 6, where the Saints are ranked No. 4

Attacker Isaac Carbajal, who scored the CIF-winning goal last year as a sophomore, has been incredible as a junior.

Carbajal scored six times in the Saints’ 6-0 win over Foothill Tech on Wednesday, giving him 42 goals in just 16 matches.

That figure places him in the Top 10 nationally, per MaxPreps.com. His 2.63 goals per game leads the nation for players who have played more than 10 games.